As I was making the trip from Pittsburgh to DC for the show, I think my friends were getting annoyed because I kept repeating over and over again how much I was hoping for them to play Shakedown Street. Sure enough, the first couple of notes of the first song they played told me that my wish had been granted. I remember that vividly. Much of the rest of the show was a blur though. What I do remember was having a hella great time.

I was late to the party only being able to go to my 1st concert in 91 at RFK and never missed one all the way up to their last performance at RFK in 95 which in my opinion was the greatest concert ever. The loss of Jerry and the dispersal of the band was a great loss to the fans and the end of an iconic period band that had captured the hearts of many. The Grateful dead instilled many memory's with friends and family and in my mind has captured a time we all wish we could get back to. In essence there is always a time in ones life that we look back too and this was one of them. I still Laugh and smile and I'm happy to say that I was there to experience such a wonderful gathering. Thank you to all the people that have put this music in a place that it can be shared and enjoyed by all. Peace and good fortune to all you fans out there young and old.

All you whiners and complainers and critics probably had your head so far up your ass that you couldn't hear a single note at all!
Now go kick rocks, your Momma's calling you. You're acting like fools!! Stop your bitching, just wahh wahh wahh , always the same rap, quit crying you pussies!! 95 was a great year Spectrum, Charlotte, and summer tour wasn't bad at all, just hot. Jerry rocked and the music was great!! Yeah I was there I saw the same shows you did, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and totally appreciated seeing Jerry and the boys play. of course you're not going to enjoy it when you're looking for every reason not to!

I sang a little while and then flew on.

I love this show. Garcia is obviously struggling, but Hornsby's presence gives him reason to 'show up'. 'Rain' is still my favorite version, and post-drums - while flawed - is just brutal and amazing given the situation at the time. The 'grey man' gives everything he's got - and it still makes me cry when I listen to it, both out of profound sadness for what could have been - and great joy for what was and will be.

This is Shakedown is damn good.

Off night from an off tour, probably the worst and unfortunately final tour. Nice song selection, horrendous performance.

How many of you could get up in front of 90,000 people and perform flawlessly? You bought the ticket so take the trip. Did not get in but got on.

Aint no time to hate.

I will make this short as possible.I have been seeing these cat's since '78 and i am really,very happy that of the 486 shows i was at i only saw vince like 60 times. After brent checked out that was the end of the grateful dead.If i am asked about th'90's My answer is that i am trying to 4get them.I will say that this show was the among the 3 or 4 shows that had energy from start to end and again i did not like post brent music.This night garcia looked happy didn't use that horrible lame and weak midi.It was nice to see jerry come out for bobs set for a minute there i think i saw garcia smiling,and to see him smiling and grooving i was happy for him because he looked like he was having fun which was something he did not have with the grateful dead.He looked bored and sounded bored and the music was both boring and so lame.This was the last time i saw jerry alive. It was cool that i went to rfk be

I am not proud of this but it happened. As my earlier review of Highgate pointed out Garcia was a shell of his former self by this time.-Just had gotten out of prison for doing business w a 'brother' who turned out to be an undercover.I still had that huge chip on my shoulder prison mentality-Don't tread on me Fo' real! Highgate show was depressing..@ earlier review, it was indeed wonderful seeing Jerry w/Dylan again. And listening to it now it wasn't the worst show..unfortunately those unfortunate souls who sold us that bad acid had ruined my perspective. It took me and my terrible attitude threatening them and then actually throwing there grilled cheeses on the ground to get our money back. -I miss Jerry!

Summer 1995 was brutal... hell, all of 1995 sucked. My mom died. I went through a nasty divorce. Jerry was in pain, and then died. Managed to catch a few shows that summer. Highgate was like Armageddon. The Jersey shows were frightful. And then there was RFK. Night one had a couple flashes of brilliance, but that's because the songs fit the year. Yes, So Many Roads and the Days Between were my "anthems" in 1995. Songs about life. All of past, present, future, and beyond. But I digress. I'm supposed to be rambling about 6/25/95. Otay. I can do this. After the Jersey shows and 6/24, I was starting to wonder if 7/31/74 through fall tour 1994 wasn't enough [maybe too much?]. Maybe I should just pack up and go home. But I decided to stick it out for one more show. Leaving the stadium after the show, all I could say to my buddy was, "Jerry cleans up or what follows won't just not be worth happening, it may not happen at all. He needs to get healthy more than there needs to be another tour." Sadly, this was the last tour. But as I listen to this show almost 16 years later, it really wasn't that bad. In fact, there's some really good stuff if you listen for it. Okay, it wasn't 1974 or 1976 or the Brent years. It wasn't even the early Vince years. WTF, even summer and fall of 1994 didn't have me wondering if I didn't have better things to do. But 16 years later, as I try to get some work done and play the show in the background, there is still some magic that my jaded ears didn't hear on that summer night. Was the energy and magic sustained throughout the show? No. But listen to the pace of Box of Rain. And listen to Jerry and Bruce trade lines on the second Samson lead. Ya know, it wasn't that bad. It wasn't what I'd known and loved all those years. But revisiting after all these years, it was still a better live show than anything else out there. Yeah, Jerry and the boys could lay some stinkers. But this night wasn't a stinker. It was just the best they could do given Jerry's state of being. And consider what that state was, it was pretty damn good. And no matter what I've said or thought before, there is nowhere else I'd have rather been on 6/25/95 than at RFK listening to Jerry give all he had to give. How much, unfortunately, we know. He gave it all. R.I.P. Jerry. Still missing you after all these years. Not going to give a rating. Why? Because I'm not sure how to rate it. Against 1995? Against the life of the band? So I'll leave it at, this is not the band I first heard in 7th grade back in 1970. And it's not the band I adored all through the 70's and 80's. And not even the band I had to sneak away from "real life" to see in the early 90's. But it's the end of the evolutionary process of the greatest American band of all time. And it still sounds better to me than anything else there is to listen to in this era of sound bites and computer dubbed pop!!

Could you tell me if the friend you mention in your post ( the one you say was hit by lightning) was a John Pongel? If so, did you ever see or hear from him after the show or after he was released from the hospital on June 26th? Thanks!
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Reviewer: cookingwithfat - - May 7, 2009
Subject: Responce to old post
I little further down there is a post from a few years ago by Captain Trips 420 who said he thought this was the show that three people were struck by lightning. He is correct and I would like to report that all three survived and are fine today. One person was in a coma for a long time, however she came out of the coma and was totally fine. I would like to set the record straight on this issue, which is to say, despite Newspaper reporting to the contrary, none of the three were climbing a tree at the time. They were standing in a circle playing hacky sack. Anyway, there were two EMTs two cars away (from Vermont as I recall) and a cardiac nurse a few more cars down who saved the life of the one person who was in a coma. I rode the ambulance to the show with my friend, and spent half that show at GW Medical Center with my friend before he told me to just go to the show as there was nothing I could do. I sat in the back of the stadium all the way up and just couldn't believe what had happened.

This 1st set was awsome!!!..."Shakedown"opened with a roar from the crowd that night,it was sweet!Jerry ripped a great,"Jack-a-roe"and the,"Loose Lucy"was the best I`d ever heard....This was the set all of us were waiting on,simply rocking!!!

I little further down there is a post from a few years ago by Captain Trips 420 who said he thought this was the show that three people were struck by lightning. He is correct and I would like to report that all three survived and are fine today. One person was in a coma for a long time, however she came out of the coma and was totally fine. I would like to set the record straight on this issue, which is to say, despite Newspaper reporting to the contrary, none of the three were climbing a tree at the time. They were standing in a circle playing hacky sack. Anyway, there were two EMTs two cars away (from Vermont as I recall) and a cardiac nurse a few more cars down who saved the life of the one person who was in a coma. I rode the ambulance to the show with my friend, and spent half that show at GW Medical Center with my friend before he told me to just go to the show as there was nothing I could do. I sat in the back of the stadium all the way up and just couldn't believe what had happened.

I heard the "Jason" story...

if it's true and there was a number in his pocket, SURELY he could have been tracked down THAT way.

BTW- in HINDSIGHT- the Shakedown is awesome, the rest not...so much.

I drop it to a three. So FOUR stars to balance out my previous rush to judgment.

PEACE!

Looking for any one who might have had a friend named Jason that they haven't heard from since the 06/25/1995 RFK concert

He was about 5'6" to 5'8" tall, approx 160-170 pounds and between 16-21 although he could have been a little older. He also had dyed red hair (long and slightly wavy/curly)that was starting to fade (looked pink in some spots). He had a home made 5 pointed star tatooed on his left arm.

He was hitchhiking and was killed when the driver apparently fell asleep and lost control just west of Emporia, VA on 06/26/1995. Driver was also killed but IDed by his family. "Jason" was unknown to them.

The only thing in his pockets were 2 used ticket stubs, a yellow bic lighter and a note "To Jason, sorry we had to go. See you around. Caroline O. and Caroline T." There was a phone number with a 914 prefix (no area code) included on the note.

If you have any information you can call 1-800-THE-LOST, or you can contact The Office Of The Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia attention Cynthia Morrison. That phone number is 1-800-447-1706.

I can remember standing up and looking at a sea of people behind me in highgate. I was very close to the front for dylans set and Jerry and Phil were just chillin on the amps watching Dylans set and Jerry had this big ol' grin on his face...you could tell he was stoked to have his idol opening up for them again. If you have seen Dylan play a few times in a row you understand that he basically plays the same set night after night with a few differnt tunes tossed around. Dont get me wrong i love dylan and see him every chance i get, but i remember after seeing him in highgate and that great set he played i was hoping to see him switch up the set like the dead but the sets remained the same. So on this night i was going to skip his set all together becuz i had seen the highate, the meadowlands and the first night in RFK but something told me to check it out. I am glad i did cuz when Jerry came out to finish Dylans set it was just strait up legandary. The whole arena was shaking during rainy day women and Jerry was smiling and stoked to be out there. Who knew it would be the last time these two would ever grace the stage together , another great memory...thank you Jerry and company for a great ride. As far as the deads set goes i have seen alot better shows but it wasnt bad.

Yes its true the end was near. I loved these RFK "90"s shows though. Still this show has some moments. The Shakedown opener is played confidently. Bob especially does some great work here. The Jack-a-roe blazes irregardless of what year it was. Its one of the more faster paced versions I have seen and it holds up here. Mama Tried also carries this momentum as this version cooks. Loose Lucy is strong and punchy and the Picasso Moon set ender really smokes. The band sounds tight even if all the voices are not quite what they once were. This Picasso Moon is a great version especially considering its "95". However the energy for the second set dipped a bit from the first set. Despite this Phil does an admirable job on Box of Rain with good playing behind him. Truckin picked up the energy and is a decent version with Bob spitting on the first row. I don't care for Samba and would have preferred anything else going into Drums. Wharf Rat meanders a bit as Garcia gets his legs but it holds together for a decent version. Brokedown is fitting since the Dead would never play here again.

im not reviewing this show but for everyone complaining out there about some of these 1995 shows i have to say im not as experienced in the grateful dead as you all are but any dead is better than no dead so sit down listen and dont complain 4 and a half this show deserves in my honest opinion

Picasso moon is a trainwreck because it is designed that way. Look at picasso's so-called art. Defined musically by the dead, they juxtapose a steady, droning, drumbeat, often screaming and contradictory lyrics, fill-in guitar leads that rarely follow any time signature, dueling keyboard sounds that are inharmonious, in short, Picasso defined in sound. Possibly musical genius, more likely cacophony. Take it for what you will.
BTW- Shakedown is not too bad. Loose Lucy sounds good to me. Box of Rain is standard. Rain, to me, is miscast as a GD song, therby sucking. Wharf Rat is good is your in the mood. Nice and soulful. Like any later-day dead show, you gotta dig for the good stuff.

This was a solid show during a very uneven summer East Coast Tour. The best part of the evening occured before the Dead even took the stage. Dylan performed an awesome set and capped it off by inviting Garcia to join in for the encores. Garcia provides some great fills and really seemed to be enjoying himself - even flashing Dylan a thumbs up at the end of the performance. As far as the Dead go, first set is well-played and energetic. Some have criticized the opening Shakedown but I kind of like it. Its no 6/30/85 but Garcia manages to pull together a slow, shuffling groove that leads to some nice places. I wasn't very impressed with the song selection in the pre-drums section of Set Two - but there are some good versions of the songs that are played. Show ends strong with beautiful renditions of Wharf Rat and Brokedown. Unfortunately, one of my former roommates was killed following the show (he was driving the van involved in the accident mentioned below - see "Mystery of Jason and the Carolines.") The encore subsequently took on a whole new meaning.

Why r there so many haters out there? The Dead were what you made of them. I was just glad they made to my hometown to party one more time. They were the first ones to do what they did and they showed up a lot when they could have cancelled. A lot of people seem to want it their way and only that way. I remember my first trip to Cal Expo and Shoreline and my crew was talking about how they hated all the Brent stuff and how the coast was cheesy because the shows were not as fiery as they were in the east. I was just glad to be waking up in Half Moon Bay and getting to go to a party every day. I don't think the Dead judged us, so why should we gauge them when everyday was a different day?

I was completely satisfied with the show when it was over that night, and I'm still completely satisfied with it today. Great set list and great atmosphere!

My last show, after starting in '77. This was not a good show. But the night before was so incredibly god-awful that this one was pretty good in comparison. Jerry looked like death the night before - totally un-engaged, just staring at the floor and barely going through the motions.

For this one, he was out in the wings of the stage enjoying Dylan's set and he seemed engaged in the music for the whole show. His playing had deteriorated pretty badly by then, but he at least had some spirit going for this show and was TRYING to play. Smiled a fair amount even. Seemed to be enjoying playing with Bruce again. No real specific comments - I just remember feeling slightly optimistic during and after this show after feeling like it was ALL over the night before. The Brokeback was a typically moving encore and a fitting last moment with the boyz.

Writing about this show some 11 years after it took place is sort of weird, but also fulfilling. I attended this performance. It was my first and last show.

I was 16 and had been "into" the Dead's music for quite some time-mostly via my mother's albums. At age 15 I probably really kicked into Dead mode, listening to as many albums as I could purchase possible.

Then I had my first opportunity to see the Dead. And I jumped on the chance along with two very good friends. The parking lot was amazing-a far cry from the scene of Redskins games that I went to every year since age 5. I remember a U-Haul truck with the back door slid open and the back being filled with huge nitrous tanks. There was one truck with a makeshift hot tub in the back and people partying. And of course there was topless chick's running about.

The show itself was odd for me. I didn't have the band's catalogue memorized by then, so I only heard familiarity in songs, but not a note-for-note, lyric-by-lyric understanding. "Shakedown" had me guessing "when will they play the next song? This is going on forever." But we didn't care, it was so much fun. "Box of Rain" was a fave tune of mine, so that was nice, as well as the Beatle's "Rain." "Space/Drumz" was a mindfuck--we really didn't know what was going on then. And of course we thought it was the greatest when everybody was clapping and singing "Not Fade Away" after the band left the stage.

Within a week, I had the show tapes in my hand--my first Dead tapes. It was the start of something big in my life. And then the news hit just over one month later. Absolutely devastating.

But I'll always listen back on this show as something very powerful and special--at least to me.

Now, armed with a loyality to the Dead's legacy and music that has spanned some 12 years, I think I can dish out a rating on this show. 3 stars: one for the playing, one for the crisp board, one for the fun of it all.

But..agree re: Picasso Moon...yeesh. I have to admit I've skipped through a lot of Sambas..just now listening..man, this song while not bad musically, sure didn't fit the Grateful Dead we all know and love.

Loved hearing Weir very clearly on this show..

Jim

Finally got around to bringing myself to listen to this show from start to finish this weekend. I've been listening to it a "little bit here and little bit there" for years, but never in its entirety- "Picasso Moon" was a quite painful. I remember screaming at the show, "Oh, NO!! NO!! NO!!" and I relived that moment again when it came roaring through my speakers... it's a wonder it didn't tear them apart. My God. Ugh, what the Hell was Bobby thinking?! Anything but that... anything. If you were there, it was a killer, and you know damn well it was a killer.
Sadly, my very last show... ever. I hate that, God, how I hate that. RFK was always without a doubt one of the better venues on the East Coast, and yes is was "a real good time" like always... Dylan; Dylan & Jerry; the Dancin' teaser during Shakedown (yeah, I heard it, too); Loose Lucy (my all time favorite... still makes me smile); Box of Rain; and sadly, the final Wharf Rat. "Smacker" of a show, so-to-speak. Read some of the "reviews" below... they were there, they know all too well.
I highly recommend this... probably one of the better shows of all 1995. Just watch out for that Picasso Moon... it'll make you just cringe, I promise. That's what Bobby should have closed the first set with was Promised Land, but no... it had to be Picasso f*#@ing Moon.
Glad to have been there... still couldn't beat 3/18 in Philly. For me, that was it, and for one reason, and one reason only- I'm still in complete disbelief that I actually got to see Jerry play "Visions of Johanna"... what was it, twice in 1986? That should have been the "talk of the tour," but Unbroken Chain stole all the glory. I was there on 3/19 for that "monumental event" as well, but I still go and on about "Visions" the previous night to this day. Just simply incredible.. holy cow.

I saw an fair number of shows over two decades and this is the only time they played Box of Rain.

Hello, You may be able to solve a mystery. A young man attended this show and was killed in an auto accident the next day. To this day he remains unidentified and his loved ones have NOT been notified of what ever happend to him! There was a cryptic clue of a note in his pocket: "To Jason, Sorry we had to go. See you around. Caroline O. and Caroline T." Do you know who he or the Carolines are??? Thanks for helping!!! Here is a link for more info: http://www.doenetwork.us/cases/127umva.html

Amazing how far the Dead had come since the epic recording of the June 10, 1973 show. The fact that they were there was the thing to celebrate. Nostalgic recording of the last version of Wharf Rat. Good audio.

No, this is not prime Dead. But, they are playing with a purpose (or so it sounds), Jerry sounds a lot better than he did in, say, 83-86, and the rest of the band is in decent form.

Not essential, but if you're sampling latter-day Dead, this show far outstripped my expectations.

I can agree with most of the posts here, not much of a memorable show but still a good time. My memory of this one is Bob Dylan opening. WOW!! He blew me away!! It would be nice to hear that end of this day. I also remember the lawn being very crowded and people were quite pushy, not the usual friendly atmosphere, so a bunch of us decided to head to the seats. Although I didn't know it at the time, this marked for me the beginning of the end.

Honestly, this is a great show...

To me, its history, the RFK show, I was there, I felt like I *had* to go, for whatever reason, I hopped in the car earlier in the day, ran into some old friends on the grounds, and loved the show.

The last show I went to, its nostalgic, and so many classics played at this show, it was almost a wish-list of a set.

Always loved RFK shows dancing in the sweltering heat and humidity of DC surrounded by great people and good tunes, not to mention one of the best drum circles in the lot under the bridge.
Might not have been the best show i attened but I had a blast and remember this show fondly.

dont bother downloading. my last show and a depressing experience. Jerry looked and sounded awful and his guitar was turned down low.

You can really hear a vast difference in the way Bruce and Jerry don't play off eachother very much this night as compared to 91 thru spring 92, when Bruce was a more or less full-time member. Despite that, and despite the fact that it's not a very good show, it's probably one of the better 95 shows. Does anyone remember Jerry's demeanor onstage this night? Was he visually communicating with the Band or Bruce, or was he standing stock still, staring at the ground? This is one of the tell-tale clues as to whether he was using on this tour, and as well, will explain a lot about his lack of interplay with others, his interest in the music or lack thereof, his moods, his interaction with the rest of the band, his inability to remember lyrics, etc. As well, Jerry at this point had acquired some pretty serious Carpel Tunnel in his hands, and according to Hornsby, he really wasn't practicing much guitar anymore at this point. Check out Blair Jackson's book on Garcia entitled "Garcia: An American Life". It is really well written and incredibly informative. Jerry was one troubled and damaged individual, and IMHO, it is truly miraculous that these guys made it into the 90's at all. Boy, am I glad they did.

I believe this is the show in which 3 heads got struck by lightning.

Hey, good ol'e fun 95 show if you ask me. Saw my last show in Summer 94 and I've only just been exploring the 95 tour Spring and Summer. More often than not, I think these shows are great. This RFK night is great too, wish I was there.

I heard it! I got goosebumps when I read that. I thought we were getting a '70's dancin' jam, and sure enough it was almost there. Just as a side note, I ended up on the videotron during shakedown, selling t-shirts in the lot - made a chaotic tour almost worth it.

My last Dead show.

Quite good for 1995. This was one of the ones that gave us hope for the future. 1st set is solid throughout. Very nice solos by Jerry in Jack-a-roe, Mama>Mexicali and Lucy. Second set was up and down but more up than down. Very solid Ship of Fools. Wharf Rat-NFA was excellent. Brokedown, one of the best of the 90's with crisp vocals by Jerry and a confident solo.

This was my last show. It was 129 of 129. After this show, I promised my wife we were done and we never see the band again. Philly 95 combined with these shows convinced me there wasn't much left to work with.

The previous reviewers are pretty generous. While this was the better of the 2 RFK shows, it was still awful. Has to be the worst Shakedown ever and I didn't notice the show getting a whole lot better after that.

Fall Tour tickets went on sale and it was the first time I didn't mail order for tickets in over 10 years. I guess it didn't matter, anyway.

Highlights were the Shakedown jam and Wharf Rat.
Brokedown was solid. Loose Lucy was drippy. I have alot of emotion about this year not unilke the rest of deadworld. But the RFK run (if you call 2 shows a run) was very memorable.

If anyone was at the Meadowlands show the week before, you'll know what I mean. He wrecked Wharf Rat at that one, perhaps prompting them to throw us the proverbial bone of Lucy in the Sky that night. On the 25th, however, he nailed it, and I was blissful.
I wanted Bruce to completely push them into Dancing in the Streets (even though I despise the song) during Shakedown - listen to the jam and tell me you don't hear it.
the Rain-Run to start the second set was pretty cool, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first Ship of Fools, spotty as it was. Damn, I even liked Samba that night.
Plus, the Jerry/Dylan pairing at the end of Dylan's set was great - I think they did Train to Cry, and Rainy day Women.
Anyway, it's probably the 2nd best show of the year, after 3/18/95. Enjoy

Yup, this comes near the end of the road and you can hear it. But "Wharf Rat" is great, and "Brokedown Palace" is just beautiful.

This was the last show I attended, so I have mixed emotions. Jerry was weak and mostly absent from the first set (whoever sang Box of Rain was awful), but picked it up in the second. Nice version of Wharf Rat, and the Brokedown Palace encore is poignant and moving in many ways. Phil and Bruce were excellent throughout.

Recording is very clean, but some cuts are a bit sharp.

Shakeddwn Street is pretty shakey but after that the band find thier feet and give a good solid show. Even Jerry is playing relatively well for 1995. He is still not as prominent in his playing as previous years, but there is a very minimum of dud notes and lyric flubs (if any), making this show very listenable. Bruce Hornsby adding a nice feel to the show, even though he is not too loud in the mix. Sound quality is pretty good, though there is a little static here and there. Tiny bits mind you, and nothing to worry about. Go for it!

Even with Bruce on piano, show is mediocre but above par for 1995 (most are two star performances). Sound quality is somewhat flat and playing is pretty uninspired.